Method of making a wagon handle by projection welding



May 17, 1966 R. R. TONELLI 3,251,127

METHOD OF MAKING A WAGON HANDLE BY PROJECTION WELDING Filed Jan. 29, 1963 3 FIG 1 l2 k 1 E 1 Fit G0 5 FIG. 7

18 E l 4 20 i. 16

INVENTOR.

Bug gem B. Ybnelli United States Patent 3 251,127 1 METHOD OF MAKING A WAGON HANDLE BY PROJECTION WELDING Ruggero R. Tonelli, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Radio Steel & Mfg. Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 254,695 3 Claims. (Cl. 29486) This invention relates to coaster wagons and more particularly to a new and improved handle for coaster wagons and method for the manufacture of same.

It is an object of this invention to produce a coaster wagon handle of the type described which is formed of fewer and more readily available materials than heretofore employed to produce a stronger handle at lower cost and which is amenable to assembly by mass production processes thereby to increase the output per unit time and labor for still further reduction in the cost of the coaster wagon handle. It is another object to produce a coaster wagon handle of the .type described which is characterized by higher strength, improved appearance and lighter weight thereby to enhance the utilization thereof.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the coaster wagon handle embodying the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the handle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view partially in section showing the relative position of parts prior to the attachment of the handle rod to the grip or fork portion;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view similar to that of FIG. 3 showing elements in their assembled relationship;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the blank used to form the grip or the fork portion of the coaster wagon handle;

FIG. 6 is'a top elevational view of the blank shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of a modified form of blank formed into the grip portion.

Referring now to the drawing, the wagon handle is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being formed of an elongate handle bar 10 in the form of a metal rod or tubular member having a steering fork 12 at one end and a handle grip 14 at the other end.

The steering fork 12 is formed of a blank 16 of the type shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 comprising an elongate strip of metal having a central portion 18 of greater width with portions therein upset to form a series of crossing ribs 20 rediating from a central opening 22 while openings 24 and 26 are provided in the outer portions which are adapted to form the laterally spaced apart fork arms 28 and 30 when bent to extend substantially perpendicularly from the central body portion 18' in a direction away from the upset of the ribs 20. The central rib-containing portion is dimensioned to have a width greater than the width of the outwardly extending arm portions 28 and 30 but such variations in width are not essential. The upset ribs 20 are dimensioned to have a length which when measured from their outer edges is adapted to be greater than the radius of the metal rod 10.

In the modification illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 3,251,127 Patented May 17, 1965 of the drawing, the upset ribbed portion is formed with three ribs crossing each other at the center at about equal angles. It will be understood that, in accordance with the practice of this invention, the ribs 20 can cross at unequal angles and that the number of ribs can be varied from one to more than three. Instead of ribs 20, the blank can be upset in a manner to provide dimples or combinations of dimples 32 and ribs 34, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the essential feature being that such offsets should be aligned with the edge of the cylindrical section of the handle bar 10 when the latter is axially aligned with the center of the blank, as identified by the opening 22, so that the metal forming the end of the handle bar will contact the upraised portions of the dimples or ribs when brought together for joinder of the formed blank to the handle bar.

The handle grip 14 on the opposite end of the handle bar 10 is formed of two members, the inner one 35 of which is formed of a blank identical with the described blank of FIGS. 5 and 6 used for the fork portion attached to the other end of the handle bar. The difference resides in the subsequent forming of the blank into a substantially flat central body portion 36 and arms 38 and 40 which extend outwardly perpendicularly a shorter distance than the fork arms 28 and 30 and thus with a greater spacing in between.

Interconnecting the spaced, parallel outwardly extending portions of the arms 38 and 40 is another tubular member 42 having a central body portion dimensioned to have a length corresponding to the spaced relationship between the parallel arms 38 and 40. End portions 44 and 46 are formed as extensions of this central body portion and these end portions are turned inwardly to extend substantially perpendicularly from the opposite ends of the body portion. The end portions are flattened whereby they define elongate substantially rectangularly shaped interior openings which are dimensioned to receive the arm portions 38 and 40 in telescoping relationship. The end portions 44 and 46 and the arm portions 38 and 40 are secured one to the other in the described telescoping relationship by suitable metal fastening means, such as spot-welding or the like.

The openings 24 and 26 in the end portions of the fork arms 28 and 30 are employed to effect releasable engagement of the handle grip to the steering fork of the coaster wagon to effect the desired interconnection therebetween.

In accordance with the practice of this invention, the assembly of the fork portion and the handle portion to the opposite sides of the handle bar 10 is effected merely by bringing the corresponding ends of the handle bar into contacting relationship with the upraised portions of the ribs 20 or dimples 32, as the case may be, for joinder by resistance welding. In response to the heat built up by such resistance welding and the concentration of such resistance and heat at the point of contact, and in response to the pressure applied for bringing the elements together, the ends of the handle bar fuse into the ribbed portions of the formed blanks until the ends of the handle bar are received substantially flush with the body portion of the formed blank to accept full integration of the handle bar and the fork member 12 or the grip member 14, as indicated by the sectional view in FIG. 4. The formed ribs insure integration by fusion and concentration of resistance at points to accelerate welding of the parts for complete joinder one with the other.

The described concept eliminates many of the practices heretofore believed to be essential for construction of a wagon handle. Previously, the blanks used to form either the fork portion or the grip portion were formed 'as previously described.

' with tubular sections extending perpendicularly outbe effected, as by spot-welding or by rivets while telescoped one within the other. Formation of the tubular section as a part of the blank required the use of more material and a substantial number of additional processing steps as well as additional equipment and labor. Thus more metal was employed, more equipment was required and additional labor was utilized for the preparation of the blank, all of which has been eliminated by the practice of this invention. A better looking assembly is achieved at considerable savings in materials and cost and the result is a coaster wagon handle that is stronger and lighter and better appearing than handles heretofore produced.

It will be apparent that other designs and arrangements of upraised or upset portions can be employed in the blank that is used for attachment to the handle bar to define the handle grip portion of the fork portion, all It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement and operation without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. The method of producing a coaster wagon handle comprising providing an elongate tubular member and a pairof metal blanks consisting of a fork blank and a handle grip blank, each blank comprising an elongate continuous fiat strip of metal having a central body portion and arm portions extending outwardly from the central body portion and extending substantially perpendicularly from the body portion in the formed blank, and portions struck upwardly in the central portion in the direction opposite that of the arms and in the form of ribs radiating outwardly from the center for a distance greater than the radius of the tubular member of the body portion to provide circumferentially spaced apart raised portions in endwise alignment with the periphery of the tubular member when the tubular member is axially aligned with the center of the blank with the arms of the blank being turned in a direction away from the raised portions, bringing the blank formed into the fork portion into contacting relationship with one end of the tubular member with the end of the tubular member centered on the fork portion and with the periphery of the tubular member resting on the raised portions, resistance welding the parts together whereby highest heat is built up'at the points of contact between the tubular member and the raised portions of the blank to cause fusion of the adjacent portions of the tubular member whereby the latter is displaced about the raised portions until the end of the tubular member comes into abutting relationship with the body portion of the blank whereby to effect a fused assembled relationship therebetween, and repeating the foregoing with the other end of the tubular member and the formed handle grip blank to effect a welded relationship therebetween.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the blank for forming said forked portion is provided by forming angularly directed intermediate portions on either side of said central body portion and by forming said arm portions as extensions of the angularly directed portions with the arm portions extending perpendicularly to said central body portion, and wherein the handle grip blank is provided by forming perpendicularly directed arm portions as extensions of said central body portion, said handle comprising a tubular member defining inturned flattened end portions with interior openings defined by said end portions, and including the step of inserting the arm portions of said handle grip blank into the openings defined by said flattened end portions and permanently connecting said flattened end portions to the associated arm portions.

3. The method of producing a coaster wagon handle comprising providing an elongate tubular member and a pair of metal blanks consisting of a fork blank and a handle grip blank, each of said blanks comprising an elongate continuous fiat strip of metal having a central body portion and arm portions extending outwardly from the central body portion and extending substantially perpendicularly from the body portion in the formed blanks,

' and portions struck upwardly in the central portion of the body portion in the direction opposite that of the arms and in the form of dimples arranged in circumferentially spaced apart relation about a circle having a radius corresponding to the radius of the tubular member to provide circumferentially spaced apart raised portions in endi wise alignment with the periphery of the tubular member when the tubular member is axially aligned with the center of the blank, bringing the blank formed into the fork portion into contacting relationship with one end of the tubular member with the end of the tubular member centered on the fork portion and with the periphery of the tubular member resting on the raised portions, resistance welding the parts together whereby highest heat is built up at the points of contact between the tubular member and the raised portions of the blank to cause fusion of the adjacent portions of the tubular member whereby the latter is displaced about the raised portions until the end of the tubular member comes into abutting relationship with the body portion of the blank whereby to effect a fused assembled relationship therebetween, and repeating the foregoing with the other end of the tubular member and the formed handle grip blank to effect a welded relationship therebetween.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS I 877,398 1/1908 Brinley 219-93 XR 1,724,342 8/1929 Connors 113-116 2,006,458 7/ 1935 Jones et a1. 219-93 2,201,067 5/1940 Whitmer 219-93 2,321,201 6/1943 Heilman 219-107 XR 2,432,299 12/ 1947 Eggleston 219-93 2,458,989 1/1949 George 113-116 2,511,160 6/1950 Grobowski 16-110 2,624,905 1/1953 Howard 16-110 3,130,443 4/ 1964 Tonelli 16-110 WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner.

D. J. STOCKING, JOHN F. CAMPBELL, P. M. COHEN, Assistant Examiners. 

11. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A COASTER WAGON HANDLE COMPRISING PROVIDING AN ELONGATE TUBULAR MEMBER AND A PAIR OF METAL BLANKS CONSISTING OF A FORK BLANK AND A HANDLE GRIP BLANK, EACH BLANK COMPRISING AN ELONGATE CONTINUOUS FLAT STRIP OF METAL HAVING A CENTRAL BODY PORTION AND ARM PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE CENTRAL BODY PORTION AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY FROM THE BODY PORTION IN THE FORMED BLANK, AND PORTIONS STRUCK UPWARDLY IN THE CENTRAL PORTION IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSITE THAT OF THE ARMS AND IN THE FORM OF RIBS RADIATING OUTWARDLY FROM THE CENTER FOR A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE RADIUS OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER OF THE BODY PORTION TO PROVIDE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED APART RAISED PORTIONS IN ENDWIDE ALIGNMENT WITH THE PERIPHERY OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER WHEN THE TUBULAR MEMBER IS AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE CENTER OF THE BLANK WITH THE ARMS OF THE BANK BEING TURNED IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE RAISED PORTIONS, BRINGING THE BLANK FORMED INTO THE FORK PORTION INTO CONTACTING RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER WITH THE END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER CENTERED ON THE FORK PORTION AND WITH THE PERIPHERY OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER RESTING ON THE RAISED PORTIONS, RESISTANCE WELDING THE PARTS TOGETHER WHEREBY HIGHEST HEAT IS BUILT UP AT THE POINTS OF CONTACT BETWEEN THE TUBULAR MEMBER AND THE RAISED PORTIONS OF THE BLANK TO CAUSE FUSION OF THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER WHEREBY THE LATTER IS DISPLACED ABOUT THE RAISED PORTIONS UNTIL THE END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER COMES INTO ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BODY PORTION OF THE BLANK WHEREBY TO EFFECT A FUSED ASSEMBLED RELATIONSHIP THEREBETWEEN, AND REPEATING THE FOREGOING WITH THE OTHER END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER AND THE FORMED HANDLE GRIP BLANK TO EFFECT A WELDED RELATIONSHIP THEREBETWEEN. 